Don't get it....

[2Kds2K9]

Yesterday, DH and I were out running errands. One stop was at Costco which was not busy at all. At the self check-out stand, there was a lady with an infant in her arms scanning her items. So imagine a lady standing there with a cart FULL of items scanning items with one hand while holdling a baby in the other. She finally puts the baby down and the baby begins to scream. So, the self check-out helper comes over to soothe the baby while the mom continues to scan items. In the meantime, there are 5 other lanes of self check out that need this helpers assistance. Why didn't the mom just go to the regular check out lanes that were EMPTY? She would have been out much quicker and with so much less stress. AND the rest of us would have been out quicker too. (yes, I stood there and watched others go through the lines much quicker than her and others that had wanted to use the self check out who went to the full service and got through quicker than she did. And if Costco would just mark their muffins, then I would have not needed this assistants help.)

Then we head to the grocery store where again there is a kink in the self check out. There is an elderly lady with a neck brace going through needing much assistance from the helper. This kind man then proceeds to check her out like a normal check out lane, which backs everything up as his assistance is needed in the other lanes as well. Again, the full service lanes where empty and the checkers at this grocery store are amazingly helpful, so I know that she would have been taken care of very well in the full service.

Just my gripe for the day. (Guess if this is the most I have to gripe about, I'm doing well.)

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

The only guess I have is they both might have been particular about their food organization/bagging.

In the case of the elderly woman, perhaps she is just trying to maintain independence. Whether or not she would be able to do the task in that case would be moot.

I have never been to a Costco, so I'm not familiar with the store protocol.

I did go to an IKEA on one weekday during the day and it was all self checkout. And I had a baby and 3yo with me.

 

[luvmy3]

In the first situation the helper had no reason to be there if she was only soothing the screaming baby and not actually checking/bagging or dealing with a register problem. Its not the fault of the mom that someone else felt compelled to soothe her child. I would have done the same thing, except I would have let my baby scream, the louder she got, the faster I'd be checking myself out.
If I was in such a hurry that I was so bothered by having to wait for someone to price check my muffins, I would have just not gotten them.
In the second situation, perhaps the woman had no idea she would have needed so much assistance.

 

[merryweather20]

I uses crutches and I often use the self checkout. At Costco they don't bag purchases even if you purchase your bags, so I'd be stuck trying to put everything back in the cart all at once. I would need the cashiers assistance several times just to help me reach items on the belt, and all the customers would be glaring at me as I struggle to do this.

If I bag my own I can put things back in the cart as I go, and nothing is ever out of my reach. The line feeds into four checkouts so its only you, going out of your wat to shoot me dirty looks, and not a parade of 4 or 5 customers in the same line. Those women sound like they're in the same boat as me.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

People with full carts in the self-checkout lines are a minor pet peeve of mine. I just don't understand why you would do this.

Same with people who just go too slowly.

Especially when you put both together along with 2 of the 6 checkout stations "closed".

 

[VeganCupcake]

I don't know how Costco works-is it like BJs? At BJs the self checkout requires you to scan your membership card(the cashiers also scan when they check you out) before you can purchase anything. Maybe she was using a membership card that wasn't hers?

 

[Monte Cristo]

People with full carts in the self-checkout lines are a minor pet peeve of mine. I just don't understand why you would do this.

Same with people who just go too slowly.

Especially when you put both together along with 2 of the 6 checkout stations "closed".

So where's the line you draw? 10 Items, 15, 20 getting too much?

I always use the self check out lines wherever possible. Mostly because I am anti social and strive for as little human contact possible.

 

[wenrob]

So if all the full serve check outs were empty why didn't you just go over there? It would have been easier to get your price check and this lady wouldn't have even been a blip on your radar. Maybe the lady with the baby went to self check out because she knew if she put baby down he'd scream and people would get annoyed over THAT.

 

[OceanAnnie]

So where's the line you draw? 10 Items, 15, 20 getting too much?

I always use the self check out lines wherever possible. Mostly because I am anti social and strive for as little human contact possible.

I was wondering the same thing. Our warehouse self-check lines are not "express".

My pet peeve is people that get in line behind me when I'm using the self-check line and there are 3 empty ones. I kindly tell them there are free ones and point them out, and every time they will say, "Oh!", and go directly to them. I guess they don't pay attention. I don't know.

 

[2Kds2K9]

So if all the full serve check outs were empty why didn't you just go over there? It would have been easier to get your price check and this lady wouldn't have even been a blip on your radar. Maybe the lady with the baby went to self check out because she knew if she put baby down he'd scream and people would get annoyed over THAT.

I was already in the process of checking out!

Costco does not put the price/code on their muffins. An employee always has to input the code no matter which line you are in.

Guess you get blasted no matter what.

Carry on.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

So where's the line you draw? 10 Items, 15, 20 getting too much?

For me, it's when there isn't enough room in the bagging area for the stuff in your cart.

 

[dis-happy]

Your Costco has self check-out lanes? I've never seen that before (at a Costco).

 

[sbell111]

Yesterday, DH and I were out running errands. One stop was at Costco which was not busy at all. At the self check-out stand, there was a lady with an infant in her arms scanning her items. So imagine a lady standing there with a cart FULL of items scanning items with one hand while holdling a baby in the other. She finally puts the baby down and the baby begins to scream. So, the self check-out helper comes over to soothe the baby while the mom continues to scan items. In the meantime, there are 5 other lanes of self check out that need this helpers assistance. Why didn't the mom just go to the regular check out lanes that were EMPTY? She would have been out much quicker and with so much less stress. AND the rest of us would have been out quicker too. (yes, I stood there and watched others go through the lines much quicker than her and others that had wanted to use the self check out who went to the full service and got through quicker than she did. And if Costco would just mark their muffins, then I would have not needed this assistants help.)

Two thoughts:

1. I wish our Costco had self-checkout lines.
2. Obviously, this mom thought that self-checkout would be faster and easier than the normal line, just like you did. You were both wrong.

Then we head to the grocery store where again there is a kink in the self check out. There is an elderly lady with a neck brace going through needing much assistance from the helper. This kind man then proceeds to check her out like a normal check out lane, which backs everything up as his assistance is needed in the other lanes as well. Again, the full service lanes where empty and the checkers at this grocery store are amazingly helpful, so I know that she would have been taken care of very well in the full service.

Just my gripe for the day. (Guess if this is the most I have to gripe about, I'm doing well.)

So you were wrong again about the self-check being quicker. Soon you will probably learn to check to see if there are open regular lines before getting in a queue for self-check.

People with full carts in the self-checkout lines are a minor pet peeve of mine. I just don't understand why you would do this.

At our local grocery store, there are two kinds of self check areas. One is for less than a dozen or so items while the other is for larger purchases. I've used them both and will continue to use the 'larger load' line when I buy lots of stuff if I think that it will get me out of the store faster than the regular check out lines.

 

[2Kds2K9]

At both places there are more than one self-check out. I was not affected, but others were. I was able to get through pretty quick.

My original title is "Don't get it". That is all. These people did not personally hold me up, I was just observing and wondering why someone who obviously needed some extra time and attention, would not go to the full service lane.

 

[wenrob]

I was already in the process of checking out!

Costco does not put the price/code on their muffins. An employee always has to input the code no matter which line you are in.

Guess you get blasted no matter what.

Carry on.

I didn't "blast" you I asked a question. Your post reads like you were in line not in the process of actually checking out. Personally if I knew that the muffins always had to be input by a checker and the full service lanes were empty I would have just gone there in the first place. My point was I don't think this lady went out of her way to disrupt your day. She was doing what she thought was easiest for her just as you thought you were doing what was easiest for you.

 

[mefordis]

Just my gripe for the day. (Guess if this is the most I have to gripe about, I'm doing well.)

I agree!

 

[sbell111]

At both places there are more than one self-check out. I was not affected, but others were. I was able to get through pretty quick.

My original title is "Don't get it". That is all. These people did not personally hold me up, I was just observing and wondering why someone who obviously needed some extra time and attention, would not go to the full service lane.

I suspect that neither person thought that she needed extra time and attention when she chose to use the self-check.

 

[Trish Bessette]

Well, my gripe is that our Costco doesn't have self check outs??

I wish we did!!

 

[mamacatnv]

Your Costco has self check-out lanes? I've never seen that before (at a Costco).

Me either....
As for why? Who knows, people do strange things that boggle my mind daily and I am sure I do the same.

I actually hate most self check-outs they annoy me since they almost always lock up for something. The item didn't scan, I put it in the cart too fast or too soon, I'm buying alcohol and need approval etc. etc. etc.

 

[njmom47]

I only use self-check as a last resort. I worked in a supermarket for 20 years and I'm DONE scanning groceries!!